Do you want to know a mushroom that not only tastes great, but also looks interesting? It is even one of the most interesting mushrooms in our forests. It’s called the magpie slide.
Although this mushroom is shunned by uninitiated mushroom pickers, knowledgeable enthusiasts literally love it! It offers excellent taste experiences, and when you come across it in the forest, you usually collect several more pieces in the vicinity. What exactly is a magpie slide mushroom and what makes it specific?
Want to see what a magpie slide actually looks like? Watch this YouTube video on Jiří Laštůvka – Kudláček channel:
Source: Youtube
Magpie mushroom (Suillus variegatus)
The magpie slide is an edible mushroom from the family of the slide. It also has many local names and is popularly known as the hare, židák, máselník, leathernák, pine tree, shepherdess or goose’s navel. The magpie hat is usually 3 to 10 cm in size and has a hemispherical shape. In youth, its edge is curled, in adulthood it is sharp and developed. Its typical color is dirty yellow, sometimes turning into an ochre, orange or brownish shade, sometimes with an olive tinge.
When the mushroom is small, the cap is covered by a soft, velvety brown felt, which later turns into scales. The skin of the hat is difficult to peel and is slightly slimy in wet weather, otherwise it is usually dry. Under the cap are pores that are ocher, brown to olive in color and blue to the touch. The stem of the mushroom is barrel-shaped when young, later cylindrical.
Where it grows and when to collect it
The magpie slide is a mycorrhizal fungus, which means it lives in symbiosis with the roots of trees. Wet habitats and more acidic soil testify to it. It is most often found in coniferous forests, especially under pine trees. Although it also grows singly, you usually come across it in smaller groups. The best time to collect magpie slides is from late summer to late fall, depending on the weather.
What a magpie tastes like
This mushroom has a softer flesh and a faint resinous to fruity smell. Its overall taste is quite mild and slightly sweet. The taste and character of the flesh strongly resembles sliders. A significant advantage of the magpie is that it supposedly contains the fewest heavy metals of all the mushrooms.
Magpie slide in the kitchen
Magpie goes well with many dishes and we can use it, for example, for frying or in sauces, to which it gives a rich, full flavor and an appropriate aroma. The same applies to use in soups. Magpies can also be enriched with stuffings and dumplings, and they also go well with meat. You can also pickle the mushroom in vinegar, both alone and in a mixture with other mushrooms, and it is also excellent in combination with vegetables.
Resources: www.myko.cz, www.wikipedia.org, www.nasezahrada.com
